Loop transfer method



Feb. 5, 1957 R. E. ZERUNEITH LOOP TRANSFER METHOD 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 23. 1950 m n m INVENTOR. Kadvkfi E. Zerrmez'i/f sug'iZ firm NE) Feb. 5, 1957 R. E. ZERUNEITH LOOP TRANSFER METHOD 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 23, 1950 JNVENTOR. E zerzmeli HQIEY Feb. 5, 1957 R. E. ZERUNEITH LOOP TRANSFER METHOD 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 23, 1950 INVENTOR. 5mm 5. Zeyc/xedfi iTOENE Y LOOP TRANSFER METHOD Rudolph E. Zeruneith, Philadelphia, Pa.

Application August 23, 1950, Serial No. 181,035

Claims. (Cl. 66-95) The present invention relates to new and improved knitting-needles for automatic knitting machines, and particularly to knitting-needles used on automatic circular knitting-machines having a bank of dial-needles and a bank of cylinder needles operatively co-acting and arranged so that the yarn is transferable from one bank of needles to the other bank of needles.

An object of the present invention is to provide a knitting needle having a yarn-engaging and a yarn-spreading flange adapted and arranged to permit easy and trouble-free transfer of the yarn from a needle in one bank of needles to a needle in the other bank.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a stitch-transfer knitting-needle having a yarn-spreading flange formed therein which does not weaken the needlestructure, and which spreads the yarn to provide a loop of sufficient size so as readily to be engaged by a yarnreceiving needle to permit easy and trouble-free transfer thereto.

Another object of the present invention is to provide, on a knitting needle, a yarnengaging and a yarn-spreading flange which permits the yarn to be twisted during the transfer operation to provide a new and novel method of knitting and a new and novel knitted fabric.

Further objects will be apparent by reference to the appended specification, claims and drawings.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention, there is shown in the accompanying drawings one form thereof which is at present preferred, although it is to be understood that the various instrumentalities of which the invention consists can be variously arranged and organized and that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and organizations of the instrumentalities as herein shown and described.

In the drawings wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure 1 represents a perspective view of the knittingneedle of the present invention, view generally from the rear of the flange thereof.

Figure 2 represents one side elevational view ofthe knitting-needle of Figure 1.

Figure 3 represents another side elevational view, simiiar to Figure 2, but viewed from the other side thereof.

Figure 4 represents a front elevational view of the knitting-needle shown in Figures 1 to 3, inclusive.

Figure 5 represents an end-elevational view, taken generally along line 5--5 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 represents a side elevational view of the knitting-needle of Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, shown with a cooperating stitch-receiving needle.

Figure 7 represents a front view of five successive positions which the knitting-needle of the present invention assumes during a stitch-transfer operation.

Figure 8 represents a side elevational view of the stitch-transfer needle of the present invention shown in cooperation with a stitch-receiving needle during the new and novel stitchtransfer operation wherein the yarn is twisted as it is transferred.

nited States Patent 0 "ice Figure 9 represents a front elevational view taken generally along lines 9-9 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 represents a side elevational view of a stitchreceiving needle after the transfer thereto of a twisted loop of yarn.

Figure 11 represents a cross-sectional view taken generally along line 11--11 of Figure 9.

The knitting-needle of the present invention includes a body-portion 21 having a hook 22 at one end thereof and having a flange 23 projecting laterally from one side-surface 24 thereof, generally beneath the hook 22.

The flange 23 is fully interconnected with the bodyportion 21 and, as is shown particularly in Figures 4, 5 and 11, is bent, flattened or otherwise formed so as to extend generally transversely of the body portion 21. As is evident when viewed from the front (shown particularly in Figure 4), the flange 23 merges or blends with the body portion 21 at the upper end 25 and also at the lower end 26, and, in smooth, curved, flowing lines extends laterally to a point of maximum projection from the side surface 24 at the crest 27. Between the upper end 25 and the crest 27, and between the lower end 26 and the crest 27, the edges 28 and 29, respectively, of the flange 23 provide camming surfaces; said camming surfaces being smooth and gradual so as not to impede the passage thereacross of a cooperating stitch-receiving needle.

The front surface 30 of the flange 23 is disposed generally transversely to the side surface 24 of the needle but blends smoothly into the side surface 31 between the ends 25 and 26. The front surface 30 is formed with a hump or raised portion 32 between the .upper end 25 and the crest 27, with a transverse depression or groove 33 and a shoulder 34 disposed in the area of greatest lateral projection. The shoulder 34 extends transversely to a point 35 and then gradually recedes to the end 26 of the flange 23 where it blends smoothly into the front edge of the body portion 21.

The rear surface 36 of the flange 23, particularly between the upper end 25 and the crest 27 is disposed generally transverse to the side-surface 24. Between the crest 27 and the lower end 26, the surface 37 of the flange 23 tapers gradually forwardly and downwardly away from the side-surface 24 to provide an inclined camming surface.

A plurality of camming surfaces 38 and 39 may be milled or otherwise formed in the body portion 21 along the rear edge; the camming surface 38 being disposed generally in alignment with the surface 36 of the flange 23 and the camming surface 39 being disposed beneath the camming surface 38, generally to the rear and beneath the camming surface 37 of the flange 23.

It is to be understood that the two camming surfaces 38 and 39 may be interconnected or formed as a single camming surface, as is shown at 47 in Figure 8.

The depression 33 between the hump 32 and the shoulder 34 provides a groove or recess adapted to support a loop of yarn 40, as is shown particularly in Figures 6, 7, 8 and 9. The depression 33 extends transversely across the flange 23 so that as the flange 23 engages the loop 40, the loop (resting in the depression 33) is spread the full width of the flange (i. e. from the crest 27 to the side-surface 31) to provide a widelyspread loop.

The operation of the knitting needle: of the present invention is as follows:

A stitch-receiving needle 41, operating in conjunction with a stitch-transfer needle 42 is adapted to move in the direction of the arrow 43 (after the needle 42 has been elevated to the position shown in Figure 6), substantially in alignment with the stitch-transfer needle, and is cammed against the side-surface 24 thereof by the camming surface 38, to bring the hook 44 behind the surface 36 of the flange 23, as is shown particularly in Figure 6 and in position A of Figure 7. Thereafter the stitch-transfer needle 42 moves in the direction of the arrow 45 so that the hook 44 of the needle 41 moves into the loop 40 below the crest 27 of the flange 23,- as is shown particularly inv position B of Figure 7. Thereafter, the stitch-receiving needle 41 once again moves in the direction of the arrow 43 (its hook 44 being cammed by the inclined surface 37 onto the edge 29 of the flange 23) until the hook 44 extends beyond the loop 40. Then the stitch-transfer needle 42 moves down (opposite to the direction of the arrow 45) and the hook 44 of the stitchreceiving needle 41 slides along the edges 29 and 28 of the flanges 23 (pa-st the crest 2'7 to engage the loop 40, as is shown particularly in position C of Figure 7. Thereafter the needle 42 is retracted still further, as is shown particularly in positions D and E of Figure 7, and the loop 40 is deposited on the needle 41.

The smooth, inclined portions of the flange 23 and the smoothly flowing edges thereof permit the trouble-free passage of the stitch-receiving needle (and particularly the hook 44 thereof) into the loop 40 and past the flange 23 whereby to permit an easy and trouble-free transfer of the yarn from the needle 42 to the needle 41.

The stitch-transfer needle of the present invention is also adapted to permit a transfer of the loop 40 with a 180 twist therein. This new and novel method of transferring the loop is shown particularly in Figures 8 to 11, inclusive.

In my new method of stitch-transfer which provides a twist in the loop 40, the hook 44 of the stitch-receiving needle 41 is not advanced into contact with the stitchtransfer needle 42 until the needle 42 has advanced (in the direction of the arrow 45) sufliciently to align the ca-mming surface 39 (or the rear-most portion 46 of the enlarged camming surface 47) therewith. In this position of the needle 42, the loop 40 extends past the bodyportion 24 in a manner shown particularly in Figure 9. The needle 41 engages the needle 42 with both strands (40-a and 40'b) of the loop 40 disposed on the same side of the needle 41. This is shown in solid lines in Figures 8 and 9.

The needle 41 advances no further in the direction of the arrow 43 than to bring its hook 44 near the rear surface 36 of the flange 23. Thereafter, when the needle 42' is retracted (in a direction opposite to the direction of the arrow 45) the hook 44 of the needle 41 engages the loop 40 where it is spread open across the flange 23, with the point of the hook 44 passing into the loop 49 between the strand 40-17 and the surface 24 of the needle 42, but with the extension of both strands 40a' and 40-b disposed on the same side of the needle 41. This relative position is shown in dash-dot lines in Figures 8 and 9.

If one considers the two strands 40a and 40-!) as lying in a plane, it is seen that in' my new stitch-transfer method the hook of the stitch-receiving needle enters the loop with the plane of the loop disposed between the hook of the stitch-transfer needle and the hook of the stitchreceiving needle.

As the needle 42 is retracted, the loop 46 is deposited on the hook 44 of the needle 41 with the strands 49-61 and 40-h twisted 180, as is shown particularly in Figure l0.

In-the stitch-transferring methods of the prior-art, the stitch-receiving needle was advanced into its stltch-receiving position above the yarn-loop (using the word above to mean between the loop and the hook of the stitchtransferring needle). By the method of the present invention, the stitch-receiving needle is advanced into its stitch-receiving position beneath the yarn-loop (the word beneath being used to mean between the loop and the butt of the needle). Thus, by the stitch-transferring methods of the prior art, the hook of the stitch-transferring needle and, indeed, the point of said hook was passed entirely through the loop from above (i. e., With the point of the hook passing somewhat beyond the end of the loop), while in the method of the present invention, the stitch-receiving needle is not passed through the loop but to one side of it and to a point short of the end of the loop, so that the loop is engaged by the stitchreceiving needle by having only the point of the hook enter the loop from beneath. In this manner, the loop is given a twist when it is fully deposited on the stitch-receiving needle.

Thus, a stitch-transfer is accomplished from one bank of needles to the other bank of needles, simultaneously with the formation of a 180 twistin the loop of yarn, as it is transferred from one bank of needles to the other.

The present invention may be embodied in other speciflc forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and it is therefore desired that the present embodiment be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, reference being had to the appended claims rather than to the foregoing description to indicate the scope of the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is the following:

1. The method of transferring a yarnloop on a knitting machine having two banks of knitting needles, from a stitch-transferring needle in one bank to a stitch-receiving needle in the other bank, which comprises advancing the stitch-transferring needle with a loop thereon and spreading one leg of the yarn-loop away from the corresponding side of the stitch-transferring needle while the other leg of the yarn-loop is closely adjacent the corresponding side of said needle, with the strands constituting the two legs of the loop slanting toward the rear and base of the needle at an acute angle to the travelline of the needle, advancing the juxtaposed stitch-receiving needle on the outside of the spread-away leg of said loop to a position where the hook thereof has passed said leg of the loop but the point of the hook has not yet reached the end of the loop, thereafter withdrawing the stitch-transferring needle to its retracted position so that the spread-away leg of said loop will be moved against the stitch-receiving needle in intersecting relation thereto at the mouth of the hook thereof, whereby the loop will thus be transferred to the stitch-receiving needle twisted 180 from its former position on the stitch-transferring needle.

2. The method of transferring a yarn-loop on a knitting machine having two banks of knitting needles, from a stitch-transferring needle in one bank to a stitch-receiving needle in the other bank, which comprises advancing the stitch-transferring needle with a loop thereon and spreading one leg of the yarn-loop away from the corresponding side of the stitch-transferring needle while the other leg of the yarn-loop is closely adjacent the corresponding side of said needle, with the strands constituting the two legs of the loop slanting toward the rear and base of the needle at an acute angle to the travel-line of the needle, advancing the juxtaposed stitch-receiving needle on the outside of the spread-away leg of said loop at an acute angle thereto to a position where the hook thereof has passed said leg of the loop but the point of the hook has not yet reached the end of the loop, thereafter withdrawing the stitch-transferring needle to its retracted position so that the spread-away leg of said loop will be moved against the stitch-receiving needle in intersecting relation thereto at the mouth of the hook thereof, whereby the loop will thus be transferred to the stitchreceiving needle twisted 180 from its former position on the stitch-transferring needle.

3. The method of transferring a yarn-loop on a knitting machine having two banks of knitting-needles, from a stitch-transferring needle in one bank to a stitch-receiving needle in the other bank and simultaneously twisting the loop 180, which comprises slanting the loop in respect to the stitch-transferring needle laterally thereof so that at least one leg of said loop will be disposed at an angle to the corresponding side of the needle, and advancing the stitch-receiving needle adjacent said side of the stitch-receiving needle outside said loop with the opening of the hook facing the loop until the point of the hook has passed the slanted yarn-leg of the loop, but short of the position where the hook is past the end of the loop, and then withdrawing the stitch-transferring needle so as to deposit said slanted yarn-leg of the loop across the front of the stitch-receiving needle below the point of the hook thereof.

4. The method of transferring a yarn-loop on a knitting machine having two banks of knitting-needles, from a stitch-transferring needle in one bank to a stitch-receiving needle in the other bank and simultaneously twisting the loop 180", which comprises slanting the loop in respect to the stitch-transferring needle both lengthwise of the needle and laterally thereof so that at least one leg of said loop will be disposed at an angle to the corresponding side of the needle, and advancing the stitchreceiving needle adjacent said side of the stitch-receiving needle outside said loop with the opening of the hook facing the loop until the point of the hook has passed the slanted yarn-leg of the loop, but short of the position where the hook is past the end of the loop, and then withdrawing the stitch-transferring needle so as to deposit said slanted yarn-leg of the loop across the front of the stitch-receiving needle below the point of the hook thereof.

5. The method of transferring a yarn'loop on a knit- 30 ting machine having two banks of knitting-needles, from a stitch-transferring needle in one bank to a stitch-receiving needle in the other bank and simultaneously twisting the loop which comprises slanting the loop in respect to the stitch-transferring needle laterally thereof so that at least one leg of said loop will be disposed at an angle and in spaced relation to the corresponding side of the needle, and advancing the stitch-receiving needle adjacent said side of the stitch-receiving needle outside said loop with the opening of the hook facing the loop until the point of the hook has passed the slanted yarnleg of the loop, but short of the position Where the hook is past the end of the loop, and then withdrawing the stitch-transferring needle so as to deposit said slanted yarn-leg of the loop across the front of the stitch-receiving needle below the point of the hook thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 636,584 Sturgess Nov. 7, 1899 2,188,125 Wigley Jan. 23, 1940 2,249,080 Holmes July 15, 1941 2,292,940 Holmes et a1. Aug. 11, 1942 2,326,694 Sirmay Aug. 10, 1943 2,397,456 Sirmay Mar. 26, 1946 FOREIGN PATENTS 22,284 Great Britain of 1908 

